Vehicle headlight



lMarch 8, 1932 G. DENT VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 27, 1928 5 SheetS-Shee l March 8, 1932. 3,` DENT 1,848,326

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 27, 1928 5 SheecS-Sheea 2 :moentot CRATZ DENT.

Gttotneg Mardi 8, 1932.

G. DENT VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 27, 1928 5 Shee'hS-Sheb 3 GRA-rz DENT (ttorncg March 8,. 1932. G. DENT VEHICLE HEADLIGHT 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 27. 1928 March s, 1932. vG -DENT' 1,848,326

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sep. 27, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /J y@ [L Suvcntor u H u u GRATZ D'ENT Patented Mau'.r j8,. 1932 f Feelin-wenn en eene-Neen, esencia verlieren :innemen Y j Appunti/sonnige september 27g-5192s. seria-1m. ac szaff y i y Thisinvention .relates -to headlights, es- ;pecially .to headlights for automobiles, and

-fhas ltorits primaryuobjectjthe provisionofV v 0new, endeten .plan

:ing the genera-l erinangenientnitlie p ,155.

@meanswhich may be readily Vinstalled inyariy .lgions types-,of headlights already. upon the jmarket, whereby. the .beams .of light projected therefrom may be easily directed to any desi'red locality in front of the car, yby the idriyerethereof, to .suit his requirements. 10A f Anotherfobject'isfto proyideimeans capable of instant :manipulation bythe hand ofthe ldriver Without removing his hands from .the .,steening Wheel andyvithout distracting hisA vattention y,from the .Y roadway,y to enable .him

looking .in the eppeeite direction;

35 tor-throw the Vbeams of lightv either: tothe fight OIfthe vlefteof the `direction of travel or the device;

to Aelevate or vlower saidbeams, orto simul- Vtaneouslyshiift ,the beams V'in a Vertical and e.illuetizetingtlie@eilen .ef thenieene ,fer eimille.taneenely.eonnrolline the lateral. menemenS-.ae Y y.oi ,the light beainefnnejeeted frein eeen-'ef f. final C'object isfto provide a simple conktllelleadligllfs; :struction ,capable .of-being manufactured at a n .iereentrollingtlie :up .and dennimeveniente lateral direction, so as to illuminate the road- 71920* way close to the car, or at a .considerable dis- -tance therefrom.

low cost and `incorporated in the headlight i' wfstructuie.to'be .entirely concealed from .View

.l and .'.to .accomplish the 'aboveA desired results f LWithout theuse of additional Aelectric lamps,

:the .beams :from ene headlight may be eslthe parts beingvofvsuch ,a 'fnaturefasyto em- -lbody the maximumlstrength and kdurability "250" `Without vthe danger-'of becoming deranged .or

Aibrr'ken, Land completely lhoused VWithin the lamp in rear rofrtlrierlens'thereof toV .avoid jrust or? corrosion and'insure continued eiectiiieness'of-operation. ,Y Y Y f full andcomplete understanding of the inyentionmay bel-,obtained from a consideration. j of the following "detailed description,

tal/ien in connection With the A accompanying it? o drawings *forming apart of this specification 4 itbeiiig understood that Whilethe drawings shoivaspractical `form ofthe invention, the Y latter is not to be confined to strict conformity ith ,theshoiving thereof, butmay be changed g5 orniodiiedsolongas such changesor modiiications marlrno material departure `'from the Vsalient features. ofzthe invention, ...as .eenelnite be e-Sneeleellynente ont in the annenflesleleiinsl 50 .lnftlle elraningsilin which similar .lief-,en

v:of the .other headlight.;

.,eneeeliaracters Ldesignateeeineenendngparte 'ling Ineens ier the .device .fend theme-nner -einetelling the Ai-rwentien en. anteinebile;

, l Figure e. is anenlarged .trent View Qf ene of the light-beam controlling devices installed in n headlight, :the lens being enemeveel rendite the easing being .ineeetena @Figure 5 .is ,e ceeniral, Yerteal seetien illneueli ,the .Siibjeetnietter efeFignre ,4;

Fiennes L8, `9.nid were.deerennneteaieivs Figure. 11 eisen isi-,miler nien ef the :Ineens of `,the light beams;

instefl ha lateral direetien, independently .steering zpest .0f v4the .iinteinloleile.,l ffderlnlei pendently manipulating the `.lateral vbeanicontrolling means,.;the same fbeingadaptedff for usefin connection `vs rith the Aarrangerlclent Shown Figure l2;

Figure 1:4 is a side ,elevation Of the Silbjt ne Figure :.19 .is Y.e :fragmentary nien, .eiinilar to Fig-41.13, .end Sheivng .jlieniflreentrelled More or less diliiculty has been encountered'. 170

thereof,in the usual manner.

in vkthe use of headlights of the so-called dirigible type where the entire headlight structure is caused to turn bodily about a vertical axis by external means which are liable to derangement by reason of their exposed position and which fail to project the light in the desired direction, depending, as they do, upon the radius of the turn being made by the automobile when rounding a curve or corner.

To overcome these disadvantages, the present invention has been designed whereby separate means, entirely housed within the headlight casing, are employed for delecting a series of vertically-disposed shutters to shift the light to the right or the left and a similar ,series of horizontally disposed shutters may be independently deflected to shift the light upwardly or downwardly, or simultaneously with the movements of the vertical `shutters, the said means being housed with economy of space and not interfering, in any way, with the full illumination by the head- Y lights. f

To this end the invention comprises the said vertical and horizontal shutters located within the casing A of the headlight at each side of the automobile B and in advance The shutters are adapted to be actuated, as aforesaid, by means indicated generally at C and secured to the steering post D close to the steering l Wheel E and within easy reach of the operator, suitable connections in the form of push and pull wires being made between the shutters in the headlights and the said operating means, said wires being preferably lhoused in a flexible, tubular casing F to protect the same and to permit the wires to passthrough adjacent to the motor and other parts beneath the hood G'without interference and thence through or under the radiator H to a casing I, in advance of the radiator proper and to one side thereof. f From this casing other actuating` wires or rods pass in a transverse direction, preferably through rigid tubular conduits J to the headlights A at either side vfor* connection with the shutters to manipulate the same.

In each headlight casing A there is provided a series of spaced, vertically-disposed shutters 1 covering an area substantially equal to the area of reflected light from the lamps. These shutters are preferably formed of thin, stiff, sheet metal strips and they are located immediately in rear of the lens of the headlight, while a similar series of spaced,

lights.

lare each provide with a central, longitudinally disposed trunnion 6 which is mounted torotate in an opening formed in the cross bar 3, while at their lower ends, the shutters are provided with spaced trunnions 7, referably in alinement with their longitu inal edges, each corresponding trunnion of the shutters being adapted to be mounted in spaced openings formed in actuating rods headlight.r e Y The rods 8 are supported, adjacent to their ends, upon yswinging plates 9 and are pivotally connected to the ends thereof, at 10, soi` vertical shutters l will be correspondingly"v rotated in one direction or the other about their central trunnions 6 at their upper ends, with the result that the light beams will be deflected yto one side or the other as desired.

The swinging plates 9 are supported from' brackets 4 and 5 by means of blocks 12 having reduced end portions (Fig. 16) and upon which the plates swing or rotate, the lower reduced portions of the blocks passing through the brackets 4, 5 respectively, and:- havings nuts 13 screwed on to such ends to secure the blocks tothe brackets, as shown in Figure 4 of thedrawing.

The supporting block 12 located at the inner sides of each headlight and adjacent tor the conduits J, are somewhat shorter than the other block for the reception of a rocker arm 14 mounted to rotate on said block and rivetted or otherwise secured through apertures 14a (see Figure 15) to the swinging-v plate 9 to actuate the latter and consequently cause the entire series of vertical shutters to be simultaneously and uniformly deflected for shifting the light beams to the right 01'r the left.

The rocker arm 14 is longer than the plate 9and extends beyond the ends of the same for the reception, at one end, of the terminal connection of' a pull and push rod or wire 15 which passes out of the casing A,-

through the front conduit J and' to the aforesaid casing I for actuation by means to be described. The same endof the rocker arm 8, arranged in: spaced relation lat the 1ower85 A portion of the casing and transversely of the is engaged by a rod or wire 16 having confand V'to the longitudinal axis, of :the heart A light, so as to oerfthe minimumamountfof interference :to the "light,A beamsr when directicd sto the front. The foregoing applies to `the HAtwo Wiresystem control as :illustrated-in igsxS `vto 1l ofthe drawings. Located Withinthe casing lthere is a'pair of oppositely disposed bell-cranklevers 20, ftulcrumed, as iat-221; 'at A'their angles `andhaving opposed "arms pivotally connected to the :Wires or frods l5 extending through the convduits 1J whilefthe :other arms of the sbellicranks are slotted, as at V22., `-for nconnection to 'the kterminalzo-a Wire orfrod: 23 Awhich Lextends through1thecasing Fand is connect- `ed to theunanual -ioperating :means (shown in 1mg-14) :mountedon the steering post ofthe automobile, :so thatgit Will; be seen 4that any Ymovement ofthe :latter Will result ina simul- 4taneous-and correspondingmovement of the @two --serieseof vertical rshuttersfin the headlights A. Y o v The-horizontalshutters2 are formed simi- :flarlyfto -the Vvertical shutters having f central,

@longitudinal trunnions24 Vwhich are mounted Yinasuitable apertures 1in z a vertically disposed t -supporting bar 25-,located atthe sideof the casngA oppositeito the'conduit land rigidly secured latitsiterminals :to said casing. The

Y fotherends of the :shutters 2 are provided 34 havingprojectinggzendsfto-'one of which thereis rconnecte dl a pull rod 35. passing .downywardly and'connected to .onearm of abell- -ocrarilclever vtfulcrunled at its angle f on Lal p in 371m aposition to 'havethefreeend ofats fotherdepen'ding farmlsconn-ected to apush or :pull frod or `Wire 38 extending `through the 1 conduit J Y in additionfto the aforesaidwn'e or rodi-'5. Y ,Y

o, AThe 'otherfendsf o f the Wires orrodsSS, Where fextendinginto f the casing .I are con- 'enected to 4the opposed arms of bellbranks 39 -Whichmaybe mounted vat theirangles upon thefsamepivotal pins 2l as Aare the aforesaid VeraDksiQO. The other-arms of the cranks 39 are adapted to be actuated by a connection ',-141extending'through the tubular casing F totheoperatingmeans o The form of the invention as hereinbefore described may be saidto constitutel a two- Wire system of controlling th-e shutters to if deflect the beams tothe `rightfor the left or to :Thelower` Y with the horizontal shutters 2in exact par- `raise 4or flower the saine,` since therefare ytwo Wires 4(f2.3 and 41) passing yrea-rwardly to the actuating means, (and in this; system it Will be :noted that Athe lateral Amovementsfof :thebeamsgprojected fromthe twoheadlightslv'm Vare knecessarily-y the same, that is, :each head- A'light Will throw its beams totheiright or the left simultaneously lwith the other headlight j and `to the same degree, dependent uponthe f direction of movcmentof the slats or shuttersc5 It is desirable, hoWever, at'times, to .befable to change ,the direction .of the light-.projected 'byonly one headlight leaving the light-,of the Y other headlight rdirectly ahead or in some other relation and toaccomplish :this-aslight-f ly diiierent arrangement is necessary of the part-s :located inthe casing I# y'Infthisarrangement, which may be called afthree- `Wire syste1n, it Will be seen Vby kreference lto :Figure 12, the Wires 387are connected to bell-@5 cranks 39 and vactuated -by Ya single puller push Wire or rod 4l in the same manner as hereinbeifore described, but "the Wires or rods l'are connected to twoseparate and'distinct bell-cranks 20a mounted at their angles ont the fpivots 2l and adapted to V-fbe separately kand vindependently actuated by twoA separate Wiresfor rods 44 which extend,together lwith the connection 4l through thetubular, flexible casing F 'to the manually operated means-95 faboutto be described.

- flnthe three Wire control system ya stop 18 in .the'form oan adjustable screw mounted in an arm :19 secured yto the bracket 5 is pro- Y vided to check the return movement of-theflaOO vertically disposed shutters under the pull of fthe springl .by contact therewith of onelend of the swinging or rocking plates 9. Inithissame three Wire control system the 4rocker arm 34 ofthefhorizontally Adisposed shuttersv is'l05 adapted .to -lbe returned kato normal position {allel relation tothe longitudinal axis of the head-light, by means of a rodor Wire connection 42 attached to a spring 43 Which main-F2211() -tains the'end of therockerarm in engagement With a stop-34a,1as inthe 'case ofthe vertical series of shutters'l.

The manually operated means C comprises a suitable :metallic bracket clamped in 'any 2115,;

desired manner tc the steering post: D and constructed'- to supporty the various L parts :as

follows. The single connection :41Which yac- `tuates the horizontal shuttersQeniergesffrom c thetubular casing VF Whichglatter may-be?i connected zto Athe Ybracket Cgin lany desired a 1 manner (not shown). -The Wire 41 is terrfare :slotted as :1t/40 (see-Figs. 11 and v1,2) and minally connected to a Wrist pin of :a revolyf ing dial 45 mountedin suitablespaced bear- ;ings 46fupstanding-iromjanextension 'of1 they-#,125k n f v'loracketaG. l The dial hasa radial 'iingerlor Y ingeand revelvingamovementinthe blackette-.i130

yupst-anding .arm 50 of said bracket.

The other wires or rods 44 emerging from the casing F pass through the base of the bracket, as does the connection 4l, and are formed into loops'at their terminals for connection with diametrically opposite pins y49a projecting from the plunger 49, so thatl when the latter is rotated, by means of a handle 51, one of the wires 44 will, in the case of the two-wire system, be pulled while the other will be pushed in an obvious manner. The bell-cranks 20a areV slotted (as shown in Figs. 12 and 18) where the wires 44 are connected, so that the vertical shutters 1 of one the headlight may be moved independently of the others. As shown in Fig. 19, only 'one connection 23 is used in place of the two members 44, when the parts are shifted as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. Longitudinal movement of the plunger will rock the dial in the desired direction to either pull or push the connection 41. The

plunger may be held to prevent accidentall longitudinal movement by means of a series of annular grooves 52 formed in the plunger and into which the free end of a spring dog 53 is adapted to engage while the coaction of a series of longitudinal grooves 54 with a similar spring dog 55 will prevent accidental rotary movement of the plunger. Annular flanges 5G serve to confine the longitudinal movement of the plunger and the Wires 41 and 44 are preferably surrounded by tubes 57 where passing through the base of the bracket.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that i simpleand effective means have been pro- `with, at points upon the roadway'adjacent vided for controlling the beams of light from the headlights of automobiles or the like and that the operator may easilj7 direct the lights to extend a considerable distance in advance of the automobile, and simultaneously thereto the car to the right or the left, or that only one li glit'may be deflected to either side as described. It will be further seen that the device is of simple Lconstruction not easily:

deranged or broken, the manipulation t-liereof being readily accomplished Without removing both hands from the Wheel or diverting the attention of the driver from the road while changing his lights, the entire apparatusbeingcontained wholly Within the rim of the headlight and may be applied in position without interfering with any of the operative parts of the car and without adding anything unsightly thereto. The connections be- ,y

Y tween the rims of the headlights and the ends vof the conduit J may be effected by means of l suitable union' fittings (see Figs. 2 and 3) in order to permit of ready detachment for the usual rotary movement of the rims, when removing the latter togain access to theinterior of the headlights.

The front yrim of the headlights which seycures the transparentfront plate ory glass in Having fully described my invention, and

set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. In a headlight; a frame mounted within thecasing of the headlight; a series of vertically disposed, parallel shutters each having at one end a central trunnion mounted in the frame to permit the shutters to rotate and having spaced trunnions at their other ends; parallel, horizontal bars havin bearings engaging the spaced trunnions an lmounted to move longitudinally in the frame; means for simultaneously moving the bars in opposite directions to rotate the shutters; a series of horizontally disposed, parallel shutters each having at one end a central trunnion mounted in the frame adjacent to the vertical shutters to permit the shutters to rotate and having spaced trunnions at their other ends; parallel vertical bars having bearings engaging the spaced trunnions and mounted to move longitudinally in the frame; and means for simultaneously moving the last-named bars in opposite longitudinal directions to rotate the shutters.

2. In head-lights ;Y a frame mounted within the casing of the headlight; a series of vertically disposed, parallelshutters each having at one end a central trunnion mounted in the frame to permit the shutters to rotate and having spaced trunnions at their other ends; parallel, horizontal bars having bearings engaging the spaced trunnions and mounted to move longitudinally in the frame; means for simultaneously moving the bars in opposite directions to rotate the shutters; a series of horizontally disposed, parallel shutters each having at one' end a central trunnion mounted in the'frame adjacent to the vertical shutters to permit the shutters to rotate and having spaced trunnions at their other ends; parallel vertical bars having bearings engaging the spaced trunnions and mounted to move longitudinally in the frame; and coiled springs connected to the vertical and to the horizontal pairs of parallel bars to automati- 

